The Plugin - The Blog

The Plugin - Cliché (all you need to know to get your copy)

2010-12-15T21:46:00.003-03:00

It's December 15the already and Cliché, our first album, is already for sale!

The following are answers to many questions you might come up with in this respect (we have already thought of many and have done all in our reach to answer them not only with words, but preemptively with actions).

1. I want the album as a digital download. Where can I buy it?

You can get it at Portaldisc or at our Online Store, depending on your audio (see questions 8, 9 and 10) and payment needs (see questions 6 and 7).

2. I want the album in physical format. Where can I buy it?

You may buy it at our Online Store or wait until it arrives in stores in Chile and abroad, in a few more weeks time.

3. I want the album in physical format but I live terribly far away. How can I manage to get it all the way here?

Our Online Store delivers to the entire world (including the most far-away corners of Chile) via Correos Chile. This is the most inexpensive and trustworthy way of sending it we could find, plus it offers pretty much everything a courier service can offer for just a fraction of the price. Believe us when we say that we really, really researched this. The only problem is that, due to customs restrictions, we currently cannot ship to Argentina. Unfortunately, in Argentina they do not let any material through that is subject to copyright, including CDs and DVDs. We insist that this is not Correos Chile's problem, but Argentinean Customs'. We will keep our eyes peeled to any progress or oportunity that could lead to a different way of sending out copies to our Argentine brothers and sisters.

4. Well, thanks for nothing. I happen to live in Argentina...

Fortunately, we are working with CNR, one of the best distributing companies in Chile, which has offices (under different names) in many countries of the world, including Argentina. We have let them know about this problem and we agree in how much of a priority releasing the album in regular music stores in Argentina is.

5. Oh, so in Argentina you can get it at stores, and in the rest of the world we must pay humongous shipping fees... Why, Dear God, Why???

Actually, in our Online Store we have managed to sell the album for a price so low, that, including shipping fees and all (which invariably amount to US$ 7.30), the final price you will pay will probably be lower than the one you would have to pay at a music store.
Once again, CNR are excellent distributors and will do everything in their reach so that the album will be in a music store near you ASAP.

6. I do not have a credit card because I am underage / banks are horrible / I don't believe in plasic money / I cut it in two last week to avoid unnecessary Christmas shopping / etc., etc. How can I still pay for the album?

If you are in Chile,Portaldisc offers many alternatives to credit card use, thinking of cases like yours. If you are outside of Chile, mail us at theplugin@thepluginmusic.com and we might be able to make it work!

7. I don't have any money, sorry! Gimme?

Sure thing! Both Corny and One Step Ahead are free to download from our Online Store. Merry Christmas!

8. I don't want the full album. Can I buy only some tracks from Cliché?

Of course! At our Online Store you can download tracks one-by-one for just 1 dollar. You just go right to the Store's page for Cliché, go almost all the way down to where the tracklist is, run your mouse over the title of the song you want to purchase, and click the text that will appear saying "Download".

9. Why would I want to buy your album if I can hear the whole thing at your Online Store?

For us, as a band, what is important is not that people BUY the album, but that people LISTEN TO and ENJOY our songs. If listening to the album on your computer, having the Online Store open on your browser, is enough for you to enjoy it, we really don't think it's necessary for you to buy it. Really. No hard feelings... quite to the contrary.
What you pay for when you download an online album is the comfort of owning the songs and being able to carry them around in your flashdrive, mp3 player, iPod, CDs, etc.
The other detail is that the online previews at the store are 128 kpbs mp3s, which, in order to allow for quick listening from most any computer, have sacrificed a good amount of quality, especially reducing lower and higher frequencies in each song. On the other hand, the downloadable album is in excellent quality (whichever format or store you choose).
Finally, we must insist on the fact that, by buying this album, you are supporting independent musical initiatives, and allowing for more new bands with more interesting proposals to appear in the future, all while specifically helping with the development of this project we call The Plugin.

10. At your Online Store you are offering audio formats that I don't know. What do they have that mp3s don't?

First off, the mp3 we are offering for download is a 320 kbps mp3 (same goes for Portaldisc). This is the best mp3 quality that currently exists, so, generally speaking, it's already an excellent option to just go and download the album in mp3.
The other options are for those who particularly dislike the format, or for any reason want a format that doesn't sacrifice one bit of quality. But the whole deal is especially thought to offer variety, and to have everyone in mind.
The FLAC format is a lossless one, which means it does not lose quality in the conversion process. It's basically the same thing we hear when we finish mastering the song, it can even sound a little bit better than the CD. The down side is that it is not recognized by most media players, including iTunes (which also implies that you won't be able to listen to it on an iPod). Now, if you have a program that can losslessly convert it back into WAV, you can burn it onto a CD and have grade-A audio!
The situation with ALAC is similar to FLAC: excellent quality, low compatibility.
Ogg Vorbis is sort of an alternative to mp3 and AAC, with the difference that Ogg is completely free and open-sourced. In quality, it is a bit inferior to the 320 mp3, but superior to the 128 mp3 you can hear in the preview section.
The VBR mp3 stands for Variable BitRate, and we do not recommend it. To tell you the truth, if you want an mp3, air on the safe side and get the 320 mp3.
Now, if you want to throw the album right into an iPod, the friendliest format is AAC, also known as m4a. It is iTunes's own format and its quality is similar to that of the Ogg Vorbis.

11. Alright, then: you are selling your album at Portaldisc and your Online Store. Which one is more convenient for me?

It all depends on your specific needs.
In short, Portaldisc is a really respectable site which supports Chilean music in a way few initiatives have, plus it offers a wider array of payment possibilities if you are in Chile. Now, if what you want is the physical album, or you have a soft spot for more advanced formats, you might be better off getting the stuff at our Online Store.
In long, here's a comparative table which should help you decide.

12. I want the physical album and I'm getting it at your Online Store. How long will it take to get here?

From the moment your payment clears, it can take up to three days for us to drop it at the post office, though it will probably be less time. Once we leave it there, you'll be notified. As of this notification, the album should take anywhere between 5 and 8 days to reach any spot in Chile, or anywhere between 10 and 20 days to get anywhere in the world (except for Argentina, see questions 3 and 4).

13. And do you really expect for me to wait for all that time?

Nope, we're not sadists like that. This is why, when you purchase your CD, you immediately get access to the digital download, without any further steps or payments.

14. There are two physical packages at your Online Store. What's the difference between Cliché (Digipak) and Cliché (Deluxe Pack)? Should I care about the fact that it comes in Digipak?

First off, Digipak is that carboardy box where less-mainstreamy albums tend to come. We like it A LOT MORE than Jewel Case, which has tended to be the standard since the 1980s. Achieving the feat of getting the album to come out in Digipak was one of our mini-battles. Nonetheless, nobody can assure that any future edition will not come in Jewel Case, for reasons that escape our reach. Therefore, if you want to have the album just as it was conceived in our minds, we believe it is better that you have this one, the Digipak version.
The item "Cliché (Digipak)" is simply the album in the format we just explained. As a bonus, you can get it giftwrapped, just choosing this option within the menu that reads "¿papel de regalo? / giftwrapped?" in the chechout menu.
The item "Cliché (Deluxe Pack)" includes the CD in Digipak, a super-limited-edition DVD (which includes the videos for Corny, Sin Disfraz, and One Step Ahead), and the possibility of Rodrigo and Ignacio signing and dedicating the CD to you personally, so no one CD is like the other. Also, you can get it giftwrapped, all this within the menu reading "detalles / details" within the checkout menu.

15. Will you be selling the CD at your shows?

Yup. Same price as at the page (US$ 10.5 or $5,000 chilean pesos).

16. Is Cliché a good Christmas present?

Yes. It is the best present ever. Whoever receives Cliché as a gift will never ever stop thanking you.

Cliché, our first album...

2010-11-14T20:21:00.003-03:00

Ta-dah! During the last days of November, 'Cliché', The Plugin's debut album, will be available in Chilean stores and Portaldisc.com . After taking our time to achieve the final tracklist and the sound we wanted, we're finished!

So, as a celebration of sorts, here is the album's cover art, designed by our friends at Solido =)

Next week we'll be telling you more about the album, including the tracklist and all those little details. Meanwhile, we hope you like this little taste!

Hugs,,

Ignacio and Rodrigo

Photography: María Teresa Álvarez and Benjamín Furland
Make-up: Guillermo Fridman
Wardrobe and Styling: Lola de Rose
Graphic Design: Monserrat Mancilla and Andrés Valladares - Solido Labs
Original concept, layout, and logo design: Guillermo Vaccarezza

21 Days with The Plugin!

2010-10-11T23:27:00.002-03:00

We followed ourselves around for 21 days, recording the album, mixing it, playing live, making videos and going on T.V. We are no documentary filmmakers - believe you me - but what you will see here (in Spanish, sorry!) is made with love, and, looking back on it, it helps us understand why we never have free time for anything: we love what we do so much that we don't even notice we are up to it 24-7.

Thanks to Coke Led for the Plaza Vespucio footage, to Stephanie for the Blondie pics, and I must state that we do not claim ownership over the Canal 13 images.

NEW VIDEO: One Step Ahead

2010-09-11T01:37:00.003-04:00

After, literally, months of production, we have the pleasure and honor of presenting you with our new video, 'ONE STEP AHEAD', directed by Pascal Krumm. We hope you like it as much as we do!

September 2010
Directed by Pascal Krumm
Art Direction: Andrea Loyola
Director of Photography: Pascal Krumm
Producer and Assistant Director: Andrea Loyola
Editing: Victor Fuentes y Andrea Loyola
Rooftop Camera: Pascal Krumm
Rollerblading Camera: Sebastian "Benito" Caro y Pascal Krumm
Hair & Make-up: Victor Moya
Wardrobe: Andrea Ramos
Field Production: Patricio Godoy
Rollerblading Assitant Producer: Angel Pinto
Rooftop Camera Assistant: Paul Barreauxs
Casting: Daniela Buchuk
Rooftop Electrician: Nicolas Canobra
Rollerblading Electrician: Luis Valdivia
Dummy body double built by: Rodrigo Rubilar
Starring: Daniela Díaz y Débora Cárdenas

Also, we are happy to inform that we are LIVING in the studio, mixing the album, which will drop anytime now.

That's it for now, over and out!

The Plugin live in Santiago!

2010-08-22T13:46:00.003-04:00

It's finally time for The Plugin's first show at an SCD venue, a place made specifically for live bands and artists, with superior audio and comfort. If you're in Chile and you haven't seen us yet (or if you have), this is the show to attend. It's at 9 PM on a Friday, and it's only $3.000 pesos, so there's really no excuse to miss it.

Corny live!

2010-08-18T15:41:00.003-04:00

Well hello there!

While our next video is still being shot (once again by awesome local director Pascal Krumm), we thought we would share this bit of our gig at Blondie Valparaíso with you. It's been a while, but alas, here it is :D

A big thank you to Rodrigo Olguín for the video.

The Plugin on MTV and VH1!

2010-07-20T02:58:00.002-04:00

So, we have some good news and then we have to beg for some mercy.
First, the good news:
According to reports from trusted South American friends, the video for Corny is on MTV Latin America Centro (Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Peru, Venezuela) and Sur (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay). And according to unnoficial chit-chat, it will soon be shown on MTV Mexico. So hoorah!
The cherry on top is that we also found out we got into VH1, so double hoorah!!!

This is seriously a huge step for us and makes us immensely happy.

Now, for the whining: The Plugin needs your help! It's time to get needy and ask for the participation of our 1,000+ Facebook friends (another reason for which we already celebrated), along with some annonimous friends that might be seeing this on the website or the blog. Without making a huge deal out of it, here goes: please, help us get into Los Diez Más Pedidos, MTV Latin America's daily top 10 (we don't need to get number 1 or anything, we'll be more than happy to even be on the show) and to get more traffic on the VH1 website, which I imagine would lead to more airplay on the network itself. It's not about a lust for fame or wanting to be any sort of celebrity, none of that, we really really mean it; it just makes our job so much easier, it makes it more likely for us to play gigs in more places and for more people to get to know all this stuff we make with so much love and dedicate 100% of our time to. And well, I admit it, to see ourselves on MTV or VH1 would probably give us a pleasant tingling feeling in our tummies, and we still haven't had the pleasure, at least not in real time.

Instructions:

A. VOTING FOR 'CORNY' ON LOS DIEZ MÁS PEDIDOS DE MTV (it takes about 34 seconds, and we'll be eternally grateful if you do it):

1. Click on the image below:

2. Under where it says "ESTA SEMANA" there is a drop-down list with videos by famous and successful artists. Do not waste your time by dropping-it-down, we are - needless to say - not on that list...

3. Under that list of winners, there are four blank spaces to fill out. These are the ones.
Where it says "OTRO TEMA" ("another song"), write: The Plugin - Corny.
Fill out the other three with your info ("Nombre" is name, "Apellido" is last name, and I don't think you need help translating "E-mail").

4. Press the pink button that says "VOTAR" ("vote"). You're set!

5. You can do these simple steps daily, and this will greatly increase our chances. So please, pretty please, do!

B. HELPING US ON VH1:

0. The thing will ask you to register, so this might take longer, even though there is a registry form in English. We will not begrudge you if you leave this part for some other time (especially if you did the MTV thing for us!).

1. Click on the image below:

2. If you haven't seen the video, do so! It's true that it looks better on YouTube or Vimeo, but this is the VH1 website, HOW COOL IS THAT?

3. Click on the little green thumbs-up thingy where it says "¿TE GUSTÓ?" ("did you like it?"). Because you did like it, right? RIGHT? This is where the man will ask you to register. It's still free and quick and they won't spam the hell out of you. Just sayin'.

4. Now, if you feel just great today, you can add a little comment below the video. You know, to further cheer us up and all.

Tah-dah! A few minutes of your time, which we know you could be dedicating to more constructive things, so we are infinitely grateful. And you get full bragging rights if this partly leads us to any sort of stardom. You earned them.

Hugs!

Ignacio and Coti

The Plugin @ Tomm Pub

2010-07-06T18:38:00.002-04:00

So, I know if you're reading this in English you most likely have no possibility of attending the event, but then I did just promise I wouldn't update the Spanish version without the English version of the blog / news section, so there.

Next week in Santiago, Chile. It's cheap and sort of a classic place to go see live bands!

Come On! (Live)

2010-06-21T10:59:00.001-04:00

Untitled from dano labbe on Vimeo.

This is from the show at Amanda last Friday. It has a long intro and it's in Spanish; since it's me talking most of the time, I can assure you you're not missing anything important, so go ahead and skip to 0:45. Thanks to Daniel for the video!!!

So Corny (EP)

2010-05-12T11:18:00.006-04:00

Yay! So the album's been taking a little extra time, we just want it to be PERFECT!

So meanwhile, we just released an EP with the three songs we have sort-of-released so far, plus a little extra song in Esperanto and a brand-new remix of Corny! But the goodies don't stop there: the EP also comes with the videos for Corny and a live rendition of Sin Disfraz! Talk about value, he he he.

Here are some tidbits of what's inside (provided that you have just the right Flash player update):

Get the Flash Player

So how do you get your paws on "So Corny"? There are a few ways:

If you are in Chile right now, you can either transfer CLP $ 3,900 via online banking; or actually go and pay that amount with legal tender a.k.a. paper money a.k.a. that stuff old people use at any Santander, BCI, Banco Estado or Caja Vecina (over 4,000 places country-wide); or pay the same amount using your credit card or PayPal. Here's the whole technical info that is beyond me (in Spanish, since you should know a word or two of it if you are already in Chile and have a Chilean bank account and all that).

Now, if you are not in Chile, you can pay USD $8.00 for it using PayPal. I know, it's that easy. Or not. Judge for yourself.

After you've done either thing, you just need to go to the EP's page and use your spankin' new code to purchase it.

If, in spite of all this, you don't feel like paying 8 bucks for an EP (which I think is totally worth the 8 bucks, but hey, that's me), you can always hop on a plane (or train, or bus, or motorcycle, or pogo stick; we're not transportists at thepluginmusic.com) and see any of the crapload of shows we'll be anouncing soon for Santiago and Valparaíso. And look like you're having a great time. And catch either Coti's eye or my eye. And then maybe you'll get a free postcard / scratch card with a download code. Maybe. Then you can get it for free. Or not.

No, seriously, please buy it and an angel will get its wings. And check for updates on out shows and more surprises.

Ignacio

Come On! (What Friends are For) + Quinta Vergara

2010-04-26T21:09:00.002-04:00

Videooooo!!!!!

Well, here's a little of our whole experience with the gig we ended the Cristal summer with: only the Quinta Vergara.

Sorry about the sound, I know it's not ideal, but we kind of ripped the videos off some youtube friends that attended the event. So thank you for that!

And well, the whole intro is in Spanish, but hey, it's just me talking, and I rarely say anything interesting. It's all about me being sick and hoarse, just having been injected with corticoids for the show (2 shots...), us being late for soundcheck, soundcheck going wrong, soundcheck suddenly going right, and then a song. You see? Who needs Spanish when you've got this kind of quality summarizing? You're welcome.

The Plugin @ Quinta Vergara

2010-04-21T17:52:00.006-04:00

So we made it! We played at the Quinta Vergara - probably the most important stage in Chile - and we have pictures to prove it! Not that you can see we're at the Quinta Vergara, but you'll just have to take our word for it... They're high-res photos, so feel free to click on them and see every little pore. All credits go to Cristal's own Juan Chávez.

PS: We're working on a video of the whole chaotic day + the show itself, so give us some time.

This Sunday...

2010-04-08T02:06:00.000-04:00

Summer Tour, Part 1 of 2

2010-02-10T13:09:00.002-03:00

Heyyyy, so we're in the middle of our summer tour (summer down here in South America), and it's been a BLAST so far. People have had fun at the gigs (as opposed to throwing us vegetables), so that's pretty much mission accomplished for us :D

So meanwhile, here's a video of what we've been up to.

The Plugin. Cristal Tour 2010. Part 1 of 2 from Plugin on Vimeo.

Part two will be up by the end of the tour; it looks like that'll be mid-March.

have fun!

Best. Gigs. Ever.

2010-01-31T12:21:00.004-03:00

Duuuude! We just did 4 gigs, 4 days in a row, in northern beach towns of Chile, and we had a HOOT! We had two gigs with an ocean view (one where the tide was pretty close to the stage by the end of things), one with a screetching-screaming-Beatle-like reception, one with a nearby Bingo place we could totally hear in between songs, but (most importantly) four shows where we had the most amaaaazing time. We still have one to go, but that's in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, here are some photos!

love,

Ignacio

Soundcheck at Papudo, our first stop.

Backview of the truck/stage. Oceanview? Check.

This is pretty much what we were looking at during the soundcheck. Nice.

The show itself. Great fun.

More show. Rodrigo is in keyboard heaven as you can see.

Day two, Pichidangui greeted us with screaming fans. It was pretty surreal for a while... pretty much the whole show.

People were, in fact, having a blast, as evidenced by the armlifting. Yes!

Over 2k people that day. At least, that's what our manager says. So lets settle for fifteen-hundred...

Day three, in a place called Guanaqueros, where they apparently sell chicken ass. Yum.

The Guanaqueros show. We had a county fair-ish thing going on just feet away from the show. We can share. Plus, you can play Bingo AND see a live show.

Next day, same t-shirt as the previous day. And the one before. I can tell you: it stinks by now!

Fourth day at Los Vilos. Everyone was freezing at the beggining of the show. Myself included. By the end, that was no longer an issue, though the tide was pretty close to the stage (in a charming electric shock hazard kind of way).

And the last one, Rodrigo master of the keyboard, wrapping it up for this post.

All the pictures were taken by Diego, the Cristal journalist that came with us. So props to him. And to the Cristal Live Flickr, which I shamelessly hotlinked these pics from.

News + Tour!

2010-01-04T22:22:00.005-03:00

Happy New Year to you all!

Believe it or not (probably the latter, since I haven't updated in ages), we actually have been up to a lot! We were included in a compilatory album made by one of the most important radios in Argentina, and made a live video for it. It is in the making still, though a non-live-audio versión can be seen here. I recommend patience, I promise I will upload the real deal as soon as I get my claws on it...

On other news, we're going on a summer tour! For real! It's in the beaches of the 4th and 5th regions of Chile and it's actually organized by the biggest beer brand in the country, so I suspect a lot of drinking will be taking place. Not by me. Or Coti. We are saints...

So I leave you with the flyer and I scram off to try and get some sleep before 3 A.M. for once.

xoxo ???
...
...
...
(Not really an 'xoxo' kind of person, I got chills after writing that. I'll try something different next time)

Corny!!!!! Yes, our video!!!!!

2009-10-26T04:01:00.003-03:00

Heyyyy! So, it turns out we're only a few weeks away from having our first album out (where 'out' refers to is yet to be determined, but oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day), and so we don't freak out waiting, we went and made a video. Not really as simple as that made it sound, but whatever. I for one am stoked! It was directed by the amazing Pascal Krumm, who we'd surely work with again in a heartbeat.

So here it is. Please do press "HD" if you can / dare / know your computer won't freak out.

Hope you like it!!!!

Listen to the album, DO IT NOW!!!

2009-08-31T20:08:00.005-04:00

Okay, so we're still working on a few details of the album (i.e. Mastering!!! Who knew it could be so difficult? And I'm not even the one doing the hard work!), but it's as close to being finished as it will be for a couple of weeks. So we uploaded it to our Myspace page. Not the full thing, but ten out of twelve, still pretty good.

We'll probably have to take it back down, I don't really know how things are going to play out, but the thing is it's up there and you can be the first to listen!

So hopefully we'll start getting some feedback. Or not. Still not feedback time, I guess.

pictures!!!

2009-08-31T18:25:00.004-04:00

Okay, so the photographer who did our album art pictures released this into the internetssss, so I guess it's safe to upload it here. Or not. Let's see if it flies.

Photos: María Teresa Álvarez - Benjamin Furland

The Plugin - The Blog

2009-08-17T15:26:00.004-04:00

Okay, here goes nothing...

Welcome to our blog / temporary webpage. We're The Plugin, a band composed by keyboardist/producer/composer/awesomeness-laden Rodrigo Aboitiz; and myself, vocalist/songwriter/composer/will-not-toot-my-own-horn Ignacio Redard. We are joined in this blog by our superstar manager, Sanfu (please note: not SNAFU). For a more sensible bio of the band, please visit our Myspace, where all the sensible things are going on.

Now, I realize since we're a new band and all, in al likelihood no one's reading this, but this is as good a moment to start blogging as any, so there.

We are currently up to a lot of stuff. In the past months, we wrote, produced, recorded and mixed our first album. We took such a long time coming up with a name for the band, that we're not even going to go there with the album: it'll just be called The Plugin, I guess.

As I write, the album is being mastered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by Neil Pickles and Facundo Rodriguez (the latter also mixed the whole album, so he's an honorary Plugin by now). So if everything goes right, the album should be aliiiive by the end of September. Yipee!

Meanwhile, if you're too lazy to visit our Myspace (I know I'm usually too lazy to follow links even if they're right there in front of me!), here's our first shot at having a video of sorts. The song's name is Like a Knife and it will be included in the album:

Plugin - Like a Knife from Plugin on Vimeo.

Okay, so there's that... and I promise we will do our best to keep this site as updated as possible with the goings-on of the band. Ta-daaaah!

2009-08-17T01:55:00.001-04:00